Closure for basketball basket



Jan. 9, 1968 ROSSINI CLOSURE FOR BASKETBALL BASKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1966 INVENTOR. Z (/C/O 10=9$/A// 5 Wm WM 1 WW VW Jan. 9, 1968 L. ROSSINI 3,362,709

CLOSURE FOR BASKETBALL BASKET Filed Feb. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 9. l3

INVENTOR. .4 a 6/0 05.5/A/l United States Patent 3,362,709 CLOSURE FOR BASKETBALL BASKET Lucio Rossini, 6514 79th St., Middle Village, N.Y. 13406 Filed Feb. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 528,722 a Claims. (Cl. 273-15 This invention relates to an automatic closure for a basketball basket. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a closure fora basketball basket which can be actuated at the end of the playing period to prevent points from being scored after completion of the playing period.

Scoring is accomplished in basketball games either by a goal from the field, that is, a field goal, which counts for two points, or by a free throw for which one point is credited. The question of time during a free throw is not critical, as the time during which a free throw is attempted is not counted in the timing of the game. Field goals which are attempted during the playing period generally do not present problems with respect to time, either. The buzzer which signals the end of a half often cannot be heard by the ofiicial due to the noise of the crowd or to the attention of the official being directed to some other phase of play. Controversy often results, and, in the case of extremely close games, an erroneous decision on a basket made after the end of the ofiicial playing period can change the outcome of the game.

It is an object of my invention to provide a means for preventing the scoring of a basket after the end of the ofi'icial playing period.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an automatically actuated means for preventing the scoring of a basket, said actuation being simultaneous with the end of play.

t is a still further object of my invention to provide a means for preventing a basketball from falling through the basket after the end of play, said means being connected to the means employed for oflicially signaling the end of play.

In accordance with my invention, a closure is provided for preventing the passage of a basketball through the hoop of a basketball basket assembly after the completion of play. During the playing period this closure, which has a normally retracted position, does not provide any impediment to a basketball thrown through the hoop. At the end of the playing period, the closure is propelled so as to effectively block the passage of a basketball through the hoop. Preferably, this closure takes the form of an elongated member which projects through the backboard, at a point just below the level of the hoop. At the expiration of the playing period, the ofiicial timer actuates a signal, generally a buzzer or light, which indicates that the playing period has expired. This signal is in electrical connection with a solenoid which actuates the elongated member, or other closure means employed for preventing the passage of the ball through the hoop. Generally, the solenoid acts, through a\ series of mechanical linkages, to propel the elongated member through the backboard, and across at least a portion of the opening of the hoop.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred embodiment, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section of the basketball hoop, backboard and my improved closure mechanism, showing the closure in its normally retracted position;

FIG. 2 is the same as FIG. 1 with the elongated closure member in the projected position, preventing free passage through the basket;

3,362,7li9 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 FIG. 3 is a partially fragmentary top plan view, along the lines 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view along the line 44 of FIG. 2 showing the rear of the backboard and the closure operating mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a representation of the electrical circuitry of the official timers signal, incorporating the basket closure means of the present invention.

In the drawings there is illustrated a backboard 10, having mounted thereon a basketball hoop 11, which has a net 12, supported by hoop braces 13 and 14. Mounted on the backboard are a guide bracket 15 and a solenoid assembly 16. The elongated basket closure member 17 is placed within the guide bracket which is fitted so as to allow axial movement of the elongated member from a normally retracted position where the end of the elongated member projecting through the backboard is essentially in alignment with the portion of the hoop nearest the backboard, to a projected position where the elongated member occupies some portion of the space directly be low the hoop.

The particular shape and size of the closure member are not critical. The hoop of the basket, according to official basketball rules, must have an inside diameter of 18". By the same rules, the circumference of the basketball is between 29 /2 and 30", corresponding to a diameter of 9.40-9.55". Thus, it is only necessary that the closure member project across the opening of the hoop in such a manner that approximately one-half of the hoop is obstructed. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in the drawings, this is accomplished by projecting an elongated member, in the form of a rod or bar, radially from the hoop to a point at about the center of the hoop circumference. In this preferred embodiment, the elongated closure member can have a cross section which is triangular, square, rectangular, circular, or any other convenient shape. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, the end of the closure member positioned behind the backboard is slotted to receive an ofiset arm 18 which is connected to the closure member by a pin 19 which slidably engages opening 20 in the offset arm 18. The offset arm 18 is pivoted around pivot stud 21 which is mounted on linkage bracket 22. The opposite end of oifset arm 18 is connected to arm 23 by pin 24 which slidably engages opening 25 in the arm 23. Arm 23 is pivoted around pivot stud 26 which can also be mounted on the linkage bracket 22. The opposite end of arm 23 is connected to core 27 of solenoid 16 by link pin 28 which slidably engages arm 23 through opening 29.

It should be understood, that while this linkage is the preferred embodiment, other linkage means can be employed so long as they are adapted to place the elongated closure member in a projected position on actuation of a means, such as a solenoid.

In FIG. 5 a circuit is shown incorporating a switch 40, representing the oiiicial timers switch, which, when closed, actuates the signal light 41, the signal buzzer 42, and the assembly 43, which represents the magnet portion of the solenoid 16. The solenoid core is actuated immediately on closing the switch, and a time delay relay is incorporated with the charging capacitor so that the closure means continues to obstruct the basket hoop after the switch is released.

In operation, the ofiici-al timer closes a switch to actuate a signal light and signal buzzer so as to inform the players, oflicials, and spectators that the half or game has ended. The solenoid incorporated in the signal circuit is simultaneously actuated so as to propel the core against a lever arm which, acting through a mechanical linkage, propels an elongated member. This elongated member, normally in a retracted position, away from the basketball hoop, is propelled into a projected position, blocking the opening of the hoop. The projected position of the elongated member covers a sufiicient portion of the opening in the basketball hoop to prevent the passage of a basketball through the hoop and, having been placed in this position at the end of the time period, serves to prevent the scoring of baskets after the playing period has ended. The elongated member can extend, for example, half-way across the hoop, completely across the hoop, or some intermediate distance. Because of the time delay incorporated in the solenoid the elongated member continues to block the opening of the hoop after the timers switch is released. Thus, errors in judgment which have resulted from attempting to determine whether field goal attempts are completed after the sounding of the buzzer are avoided.

While a specific embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, certain variations can be accomplished without departing from the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A basketball basket assembly comprising a backboard, a basketball hoop mounted thereon, closure means for blocking at least a portion of the opening of said hoop, and means for automatically actuating said closure means at the expiration of the playing time.

2. In a basketball basket assembly comprising a backboard, a hoop for passage of a basketball, and means for mounting said hoop to said backboard, the improvement comprising:

(a) closure means for preventing the passage of a basketball through said hoop and mounted adjacent said hoop so as to be shittable between a normally retracted position providing no impediment to the passage of a basketball through said hoop and a projected position extending at least part way across 4 the opening in said hoop to prevent passage of a basketball through said hoop, and

(b) means for automatically actuating said closure means to cause it to shift from the retracted position to the projected position for preventing passage of the basketball at the expiration of a period of play.

3. The basketball basket assembly of claim 2 wherein said closure means is an elongated member.

4. The basketball basket assembly of claim 2 wherein said means for actuating the closure means includes a solenoid.

5. The basketball basket assembly of claim 4 wherein said solenoid incorporates time-delay means for retaining said closure means in the projected position.

6. The basketball basket assembly of claim 3 wherein said elongated member extends through said backboard.

7. The basketball assembly of claim 6 wherein said elongated means is held by a guide bracket which is mounted on said backboard.

8. The basketball basket assembly of claim 3 wherein said elongated member, in the projected position, extends radially across the opening of said hoop to a distance of about one-half the diameter of said hoop.

9. The basketball basket assembly of claim 3 wherein said elongated means, in the projected position, extends substantially completely across said hoop.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,421,220 5/1'947 Robinson et al. 2731.5 X

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BASKETBALL BASKET ASSEMBLY COMPISING A BACKBOARD, A BASKETBALL HOOP MOUNTED THEREON, CLOSURE MEANS FOR BLOCKING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE OPENING OF SAID HOOP, AND MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ACTUATING SAID CLOSURE MEANS AT THE EXPIRATION OF THE PLAYING TIME. 